Ultrathin CNx overcoats for 1 Tb/in.2 hard disk drive systems

Carbon nitride films were grown on silicon and hard disk substrates using pulsed dc magnetron sputtering in a single-cathode deposition system. Substrates were mounted on a specially designed holder that allowed 45degrees tilt angle and substrate rotation about the surface normal up to 20 rpm. The influence of substrate bias, substrate tilt, and rotation on film growth and properties was studied. Films with the lowest rms surface roughness and corrosion performance were obtained at -100 V substrate bias with substrate tilt and rotation. Atomic force microscope scans over 10x10 mum(2) sampling areas showed that 50 nm thick CNx films prepared under these conditions have roughness almost four times lower than those prepared without substrate tilt and rotation. We observed a twofold reduction in corrosion damage for hard disk substrates with 1 nm thick CNx overcoats deposited with substrate tilt and rotation. This improved performance is likely a result of more efficient and uniform momentum transfer parallel to the surface during deposition in this configuration. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.